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Thursday, July 7, 2011

I am the world's least responsible photographer–John and I have been dating for five years and I have no more than a handful of photos of the two of us! In fact, John's mama once gifted me a shiny new digital camera, the clearest signal that they'd like to see more pictures! So I made it a point to pull out my future phone a few times during the trip to capture snapshots of our wonderful vacation, and I'm so glad I did-they're perfect for gazing at during the long train rides home after work!

The trip started with a red eye flight to Charlotte, then a connecting flight to Mexico. Then a shuttle to Puerto Juarez. And a boat to Isla Mujeres itself. Let's just say that the travel is enough to keep away plenty of potential tourists! We arrived, sweaty and tired, at an inconspicuous wooden door. It swung open to reveal a cool, all white hotel that felt more like a chic private home, and we were greeted with mimosas-it was hard not to feel like the luckiest people on Earth!

The deck overlooked the gorgeous infinity pool, and was the perfect place for a breakfast of orange juice, coffee and plenty of fresh fruit. We'd hole up, either in bed, on the deck or by the pool (always slathered in SPF 70) for the morning, and then venture out in the late afternoon for lunch. You'd find us at Sancocho's every afternoon around 3 or 4pm, John eating his weight in fish tacos.

The bar, topped with smoky marble, was the perfect place to sip a Coca Cola or a piña colada and cool off from the heat. While John worked on our future still and the blends for his batches of bourbon and rye, I consumed book after book; I highly recommend Dave Egger's Zeitoun, and Water for Elephants was a perfect bit of escapism. There may have been some trashy chick lit tucked into my carry on, too, but you'll be hard pressed to get me to confess the details!

After a dip in the pool, we were off for dinner, but only after the sun set and the heat subsided. We explored even less of the island this trip than we did on the previous-we already had our favorite restaurants, and there was only one tequila bar on the island anyway! A plunge in the hot tub was the perfect end to an evening, and made the cool sheets feel all the more delicious. It was one of those divine vacations where we both lost track of the day, and with even the hotel's clocks shut off, we slept just as late as we pleased.

The flights back were badly delayed thanks to some thunderstorms, and we got home hours later than expected-17 hours of travel is enough to level even the toughest fliers. I'm delighted to be back home in our bed, with my own kitchen and the cool San Francisco fog filling our living room, but I wouldn't mind going back next week!

Oh wow. It sounds like heaven. Seriously I am wildly jealous...and it's not just because I get woken up at 6am every morning by my sweet 5 month old daughter. But tacos, margaritas, sleeping and reading sounds AMAZING! :)xoAlexawww.theshortandthesweetofit.com

I am equally as irresponsible...the reason I don't have a nice profile pic is that no pictures of me exist. And I have a decent DSLR.Seventeen hours of travelling - you must be exhausted. Hope you have time to rest up. And isn't it weirdly cool today?

Your trip sounds so good that I have some drool running down my face right now. Seriously, how amazingly perfect! And can I even begin to tell you how adorable you look in that photo with your hat and pearls on? Seriously. Amazing. So happy for you!

I used to be alll about the pictures. I have boxes filled that can tell you so. But now Im more about just enjoying the moment and the view rather then trying to capture it perfectly all of the time. These pictures are so beautiful! You guys look both happy beautiful and relaxed! it sounds like the perfect little get away!

I have the SAME photo-taking problem - it was tough to find enough photos of hubs and I for our wedding slideshow! These photos are GORGEOUS, and your trip sounds absolutely amazing (I think I'm more relaxed just after reading this post!)

oh, Lena, this sounds like the most amazing spot to escape to with your honey! The pools and rustic shoreline look so tempting - I'm sure the two of you felt like royalty during your stay. So nice to have you back but I know what you mean when you say you're ready to hop on a plane and do it all over again!

Author and editor Lena is a music and dance scholar and classically trained coloratura soprano who adores F. Scott Fitzgerald and hand-written notes,
believes every household should have a chilled bottle of Champagne on hand,
and loves very few things more than a perfectly placed polka dot.